


Interview With a Chinchilla

by Xavori



Series: What If Anne Rice Wrote About Soft, Fluffy Rodents [1]
Category: L.A. By Night (Web Series), Vampire: The Masquerade
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-05
Updated: 2020-03-05
Packaged: 2021-03-01 05:21:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,478
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23019988
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Xavori/pseuds/Xavori
Summary: Seeking information, Jasper and Eva accept a dinner invitation from Gary Golden.
Series: What If Anne Rice Wrote About Soft, Fluffy Rodents [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1656784
Kudos: 8





	Interview With a Chinchilla

“We need more information, Jasper,” began Eva. “You already stopped me once. I’m not sure why you’re trying to do it again.”

“I’m not. You know I’m on board with taking Strauss down.”

“Then why are you opposed to my meeting with Gary?” she asked.

“Because what you are going to ask him is going to be very expensive,” he replied. “This won’t just be putting up a few more wards around Hollywood Forever.”

“I’m going to destroy Strauss. I’m willing to pay whatever price.”

“But… ,” began Jasper.

“Plus he’s already invited us to dinner,” she interrupted. “I don’t think it would be a good idea to decline.”

“I know,” he sighed.

_______________________________

As Eva and Jasper approached the entrance to Gary’s domain beneath the graveyard, they saw a couple already waiting there. They both quickly recognized the couple as Mark and Annabelle.

“Hey, guys!” called out Annabelle.

Eva could hear Jasper muttering under his breath although she couldn’t make out what he was saying. She wasn’t entirely sure how she felt about additional guests at Gary’s dinner, but Gary hadn’t said there wouldn’t be. She decided she could wait until after the dinner to pull Gary aside to ask her question.

“Hello, Annabelle,” responded Eva.

Jasper also greeted them. “Hey.”

Mark looked at the two Kindred approaching and smirked. He and Annabelle had been gossiping a lot about vampire couples. Jasper and Eva. Susanne and Nelli. Victor and Katya. 

Annabelle had been vicious in her teasing about that last one, calling Katya Mark’s future step-mom. Mark was not amused by the thought because of the things he’d already heard about her.

“So Gary invited you as well?” asked Eva.

“Ya. Mark wanted some book,” began Annabelle, “and Nines suggested Gary might know where to find a copy.”

“A copy of Beckett’s writings on the Brujah. For obvious reasons,” said Mark as he pointedly looked at Annabelle, “I’m kinda interested in learning more about them.”

“Me too!” chirped Annabelle.

“You already have the leather jacket,” snarked Jasper.

At that moment, the door to Gary’s domain opened. There was cheerful music playing somewhere deep inside, and a totally nondescript man was standing in the doorway.

“Nice look, Gary,” said Annabelle. “You look like absolutely nobody.”

The blank-ish man smiled, “Thank you, Miss Annabelle. One does one’s best.”

With a gesture, Gary ushered them in, dropping his supernatural disguise as they passed. He closed the entrance behind them.

“Sadly, my children were both called away and won’t be joining us this evening. Their loss as I’ve brought in an extra special dish for our enjoyment.”

Annabelle tried, and failed, to stifle her cringing at the thought of whatever Gary would consider “special.” She looked over at Mark, but before she could say anything, Gary spoke up.

“Not to worry, Miss Annabelle. I would be a very poor host indeed if I didn’t make proper arrangements for your mortal friend.”

Mark smiled and said, “Thank you, Mr. Golden. Annabelle has told me so many good things about you.”

“Oh, Miss Annabelle is too kind.”

“Ya, but you are pretty awesome, Gary,” Annabelle said while nodding.

Gary led them down the tunnels and into a chamber that was obviously the dining room. There was a large table that had already been set for dinner. There were also, strangely, a few mannequins dressed as old time movie stars at a few of the places.

“I know a couple of you are here for business, but let’s eat first,” said Gary gesturing to the table.

Gary’s guests all found seats around the table. Mark and Annabelle sat together. Jasper and Eva, though, couldn’t find seats next to each other due to the arrangement of the mannequins already seated. Gary noticed Eva and Jasper both staring intently at the mannequin, obviously trying to decide if it would be rude to move it. He smirked when the finally decided to just sit in open seats.

“Excellent,” Gary said as he reached over a rang a small silver bell.

A moment later several ghouls walked in carrying platters covered with silver cloches. They set one in front of each of the guests. One of the ghouls seemed to think to himself a moment, before a slight look of panic crossed his face as he quickly traded the platters in front of Mark and Annabelle. Mark looked up at the servant questioningly, and the man nodded to Mark.

“My guests,” began Gary. “I welcome you warmly to my home and my table. It’s not often Kindred and their mortal friends get a chance to dine together, and I appreciate greatly that you would share this opportunity with me.”

With that, Gary gestured to the silver covers and reached out lifting his own.

Mark’s platter was a delicious smelling, piping hot serving of lasagna. Mark’s mouth began watering immediately as the smell of the sauce, cheese, and pasta wafted up to him. Annabelle looked down at the lasagna, then up at Mark’s face, then back at the lasagna. The jealousy on her face was obvious. However, it only lasted a moment before she saw what was on her, and everyone else’s plate.

Sitting before her, looking very comfortable and obviously oblivious to its upcoming demise was a moderately sized grey rodent with a fluffy tail and large fuzzy ears. Annabelle couldn’t hide the shock at the thought that she’d be expected to eat this creature, and worse, it was too big to try to hide under her jacket.

“For those who might not be familiar with our meal,” began Gary, “they are chinchillas. I had them flown in from Bolivia for tonight. It’s not often I get such esteemed guests, and I wanted it to be special.”

As Gary was speaking, Eva just stared at the rodent on her plate slack-jawed. It was adorable. She couldn’t help herself as she reached out to stroke its fur. The fur was incredibly soft. In fact, she was sure it was the softest thing she’d ever touched in her life or unlife.

Jasper simply picked up his chinchilla and bit into it. Both Eva and Annabelle turned to watch him with undisguised horror on their faces. Fortunately, Gary was looking down at his own meal and didn’t notice. Mark looked at the adorable rodents on the other plates, then back at his own lasagna. He very pointedly looked down at his plate doing his best not to notice anymore as he took his first bite. He sighed loudly and the perfectly prepared dish exploded with flavor across his tongue.

“Mr. Golden,” said Mark. “this is amazing.”

Gary picked a bit of fur out of his teeth before answering. “Thank you, young Mr. Temple.”

Eva picked her chinchilla up desperately trying to find a way to not have to eat it. She didn’t want to insult Gary as she was about to ask him a hugely important and difficult question, but she also didn’t want to eat the fluffy and cute rodent. She leaned forward, fangs exposed, mind still racing when the rodent squirmed in her hands.

Eva was caught off guard and pulled her hands and face closer together to try and get control of the writhing furball. Her fang accidently caught on the side of her wrist, and a tiny bit of blood leaked out. The chinchilla’s nose twitched, and then it attacked Eva’s wrist at the open wound. Eva tossed the attacked rodent away from her, and it hit the wall with a sickening crunch.

Annabelle, meanwhile, took full advantage of the distraction and stuffed her chinchilla in the bag Mark had brought to carry the book he wanted. She looked motioned Mark’s attention to the bag before putting a finger to her lips. Mark nodded back at her.

“Miss Eva,” asked Gary with genuine concern, “did your chinchilla actually draw your blood?”

“No,” she answered. “It merely surprised me my squirming just as I was about to take a bit, and I accidentally cut myself with my own fang.”

Gary was about to say something when a loud, very high pitched squeal came from where Eva’s chinchilla was lying on the floor. Everyone at the table looked at it with various looks of shock, horror, and pity.

“Oh my gosh!” exclaimed Annabelle. “We have to put that poor thing out of its misery.”

Gary nodded. Jasper quickly stood up and moved over towards the dying chinchilla. He reached down towards it, but it jumped up and with another loud squeal, raced out of the room. Jasper turned back to the rest of the group.

“That rodent had blood around its mouth.”

“You don’t think,” asked Gary, “that Miss Eva actually created a chinchilla childe, do you?”

Eva didn’t even try to hide the horror on her face as she looked towards the tunnel that the chinchilla had escaped down.


End file.
